Groups > linux.debian.user > #220532

Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments

From	"Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments
Date	2020-03-26 18:50 +0100
Message-ID	<zOENI-3el-9@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References	<zOrQt-3Be-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <zOw3L-6kJ-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <zOwQ9-6S4-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <zOxjd-71A-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
Organization	linux.* mail to news gateway

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On Thu, Mar 26, 2020 at 10:44:14AM +0100, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
>>    =?utf-8?B?QkhfODU0MDk2MjMwLnBkZg==?=
>
>This is not a PDF (it would be a very short one, mind you :)

I misspoke; I should have said "string" rather than "PDF".  But I did
not discover how to get mutt to point me to the PDF file associated
with the string.


>This is a string in MIME's "Encoded-Word" encoding [1], which is used
>to wrap non-ASCII stuff in an MIME metadata (i.e. header) snippet.
>
>Following the reference, that's what you can read off it:
>
>  =?utf-8 -- means that the actual content is an UTF-8 encoded string
>   ?B     -- means that what comes now is a base-64 encoding of the
>             above
>
>  After the next "?" comes the data:
>
>  QkhfODU0MDk2MjMwLnBkZg==
>
>(the two trailing equals signs are padding, part of the base64 thingy;
>the last ?= are MIME delimiters according to [1]).
>
>Base-64 decoding it [2] yields:
>
>  BH_854096230.pdf
>
>This looks like a file name to me.

Indeed, it is.  But I do not know where the file resides.  

>Note that, in hindsight, all this encoding nonsense wouldn't have
>been necessary, because the original above *is* already plain
>ASCII. This is a case of stupid software obscuring things to make
>users even more stupid and dependent [3].

Agreed; but I cannot force the other guy to use an intelligent mail client.

>The PDF itself is somewhere else (perhaps in a MIME part somewhere
>in that mail, perhaps sitting in some file system, whatever).
>
>Cheers
>
>[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multipurpose_Internet_Mail_Extensions#Encoded-Word
>[2] In Emacs, just mark that string and M-x base64-decode-region.
>   Your editor sure has a way to do this, hasn't it?

I run Emacs, but I did not know about "M-x base64-decode-region";
thanks.

>[3] I don't think it's really intentional. It's an unfortunate and
>   contagious antipattern, a bit like prions transmit Creutzfeld-Jacob.
>   But nowadays I suspect that some actors help its expansion because
>   it helps their business interests. Or something.

I think it is just the general incompetence and arrogance of the
micro$oft culture.

RLH

Thread

HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-26 05:00 +0100
  Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2020-03-26 06:00 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-26 07:40 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2020-03-26 10:10 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-26 12:40 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Tixy <tixy@yxit.co.uk> - 2020-03-26 13:20 +0100
        Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-26 13:40 +0100
  Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2020-03-26 06:10 +0100
  Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-03-26 09:30 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-26 10:20 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-26 10:50 +0100
        Over-engineering, Libre Software and Open Source (was: HTML mail +  PDF attachments) Nicolas George <george@nsup.org> - 2020-03-26 16:40 +0100
          Re: Over-engineering, Libre Software and Open Source (was: HTML mail  + PDF attachments) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-26 17:30 +0100
        Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-26 18:50 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-26 12:50 +0100
        Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-26 12:50 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Reco <recoverym4n@enotuniq.net> - 2020-03-26 16:50 +0100
        Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-03-27 10:00 +0100
          Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Reco <recoverym4n@enotuniq.net> - 2020-03-27 12:50 +0100
            Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-03-27 13:30 +0100
              Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Richard Hector <richard@walnut.gen.nz> - 2020-03-27 14:50 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-27 15:40 +0100
              Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Reco <recoverym4n@enotuniq.net> - 2020-03-27 15:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-27 17:20 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Greg Wooledge <wooledg@eeg.ccf.org> - 2020-03-27 17:50 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-03-27 18:10 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with  șurubelniță) Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2020-03-27 18:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2020-03-27 21:20 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with  șurubelniță) Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2020-03-28 10:10 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with  șurubelniță) Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2020-03-28 10:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-28 11:10 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2020-03-28 14:20 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-28 15:00 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with  șurubelniță) Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2020-03-28 15:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-28 16:10 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-28 10:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2020-03-28 10:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with  șurubelniță) Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2020-03-28 10:50 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2020-03-28 14:10 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2020-03-27 20:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-28 05:20 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-03-28 09:40 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-30 20:40 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2020-03-31 01:30 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Richard Hector <richard@walnut.gen.nz> - 2020-03-31 12:00 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2020-03-28 09:50 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2020-03-28 09:50 +0100
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) Greg Wooledge <wooledg@eeg.ccf.org> - 2020-03-30 13:30 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with șurubelniță) David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-30 20:40 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments (with ??urubelni????) "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-27 21:10 +0100
          Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-27 13:30 +0100
            Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-27 13:30 +0100
          Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-03-28 10:00 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Jason <electron@emypeople.net> - 2020-04-13 19:40 +0200
        Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-04-13 20:50 +0200
          Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-04-14 09:00 +0200
            Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-04-14 09:30 +0200
              Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2020-04-14 10:20 +0200
              Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-04-14 22:30 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-04-14 23:20 +0200
                Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-04-23 03:20 +0200
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2020-03-26 12:50 +0100
  Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Nate Bargmann <n0nb@n0nb.us> - 2020-03-26 12:50 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Erwan David <erwan@rail.eu.org> - 2020-03-26 15:00 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-26 19:00 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Nate Bargmann <n0nb@n0nb.us> - 2020-03-27 02:30 +0100
  Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Eduardo M KALINOWSKI <eduardo@kalinowski.com.br> - 2020-03-26 13:30 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments Reco <recoverym4n@enotuniq.net> - 2020-03-26 16:50 +0100
  Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-26 17:20 +0100
    Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-26 20:00 +0100
      Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-27 04:30 +0100
  [solved] Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments "Russell L. Harris" <russell@rlharris.org> - 2020-03-27 08:00 +0100
    Re: [solved] Re: HTML mail + PDF attachments David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2020-03-27 16:00 +0100

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